Juan Zaldivar

Background

Juan de Zaldívar was born circa 1570 in Northern Mexico. His father, Vicente de Zaldívar, Senior, served in the Mixtón War of 1540-1542 alongside his uncle (thus Juan"s great-uncle), Cristóbal de Oñate.

Career

Juan de Zaldívar (1514–1570) was a Spanish official and explorer in New Spain. He served as a city councillor of Guadalajara from 1539 to 1570. He explored Northern New Spain (the modern-day Mexican states of Sinaloa and Sonora as well as southeastern Arizona) in search of the mythical towns of Cíbola and Quivira.

By the 1560s, he was the owner of mines, farms and slaves, and one of the richest men in New Spain.

Juan de Zaldívar was born in 1514 near Vitoria in Basque Country, Spain. His father was Ruy Díaz de Zaldívar and his mother, María Pérez de Oñate.

Zaldívar emigrated to New Spain in 1533. Six years later, in 1539, he was appointed as a city councillor of Guadalajara by Francisco Vázquez de Coronado.

He served in this capacity until his death in 1570.

Meanwhile, Zaldívar was asked by Coronado to explore Northern New Spain (the modern-day Mexican states of Sinaloa and Sonora as well as southeastern Arizona) in search of the gold in the mythical town of Cíbola in 1539. By 1541, he was asked to find another mythical town, Quivira. By 1566, Zaldívar was the owner of mines, slaves, and farms.

He had become of the richest men in New Spain.

Zaldívar died in 1570.

Achievements

• His brother, Vicente de Zaldívar, won the Battle of Acoma Pueblo, partly to avenge his death.